My girlfriend and I have a handful of reservations booked between PHL and BOS over the next few months. We are taking advantage of low fares and my elite status (comped, yes, but FL has done well with that, including some paid J fares from me) as well as the great PHL-BOS route bonus (fly two one ways, get one free).

Anyhow, my girlfriend told me her A+ number today, so I called the airline to enter it into her reservaons

Here is how the conversation went:

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Phone agent: "Sir, I see that she has an advanced seat assignment, but she is not an elite member. Only elite members can get advanced seat assignments at her fare."

andymo99: "Oh, I understand that, except that she is flying with me on one reservation, and I am an elite member."

Phone agent: "Well, you are entitled to keep your seat assignment, but she can't have one yet."

andymo99 (surprised and confused): "So let me see if I get this straight: We are flying together on the same reservation. I am elite. She isn't. I can have a seat assignment. She can't. So most likely, the seat next to me will be assigned by the time she can get an assignment, and we'll be separated, or I will be giving up my seat for an inferior one near her. Right?"

Phone agent: "Well, I guess that is likely."

andymo99: "Do you realize that no other airline handles it like this?"

Phone agent: "No."

andymo99: "I mean, we're not talking about upgrades. I will be in coach and I am just looking for her to have an assignment next to me in coach."

Phone agent: "I know sir, but she is not an elite member."

andymo99: "OK, I get it now. Let me just ask a few other questions so I understand how the system works."

Phone agent: "Go ahead."

andymo99: "So let's say we get to the airport for our flight. I have my seat assignment. She does not. We go for check in and for whatever reason, we can't use the kiosk. I can use the elite check-in line. Is she allowed to join me to check in, on the same record locator, in the elite line?"

Phone agent: "No, she needs to wait in the regular line."

andymo99: "Ok. I see. So at this point let's say that we've each stood in our respective lines and we've checked in, and we've even arranged to sit in adjoining seats. We are now waiting at the gate for boarding and elite boarding is called. Since we are on the same reservation, in adjoining seats, and I am elite... is she allowed to join me for the early boarding privilege."

Phone agent: "No sir. She'll have to wait and board with her row. You see, once she flies with you enough to earn elite status, then she will have all the elite benefits."

andymo99: "Right, I see how it works."

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PLEASE tell me that I was dealing with a misinformed agent!! Either that, or the value of my elite status has just fallen significantly. Perhaps I will call again for clarification, as I have a hard time believing this could be accurate.

Why would the website let me select a seat for her if I am not allowed to? The agent MUST have been wrong.

Oh, she did agree to check with a supervisor about the reservations we are already holding. On those where we are flying together, my girlfriend's seat assignments were left intact. On the ones where she is alone, they were erased (though that is fair enough).

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Edited to say: OK, I called again. The second phone agent told me that companions do get seat assignments when on the same reservation. Phew!

When I asked again about check-in lines and elite boarding, the new phone agent first said, "I don't know about that... it is really under TSA control." (HUH!?) When I pressed the issue further, she agreed that it seemed reasonable that we could both check-in at the elite counter and board together. I wasn't really concerned about these latter issues, as I am fairly certain that airport personnel would use reasonable judgment and allow that anyhow.

So I guess the only real complaint that I have left is that the phone agents are a bit misinformend. Oh well.


Edited a second time to say: I went into our reservations through my website access. I did notice that where flying alone, my girlfriend lost her seat assignment. However, I was able to reassign it. Is this just a flaw in the system?